TenTen's Hero.
Chapter 16: Miso Ramen.
Senryu: Go Gaara!!
Shiirya:We don't own Naruto.
Senryu: oh…and to prevent further confusion between the bird and human Shinji, the human will be called Asigara.
The next day, everyone was let out of the hospital, including Mikomi. At the Inn, the team was back together and they headed toward the ramen shop, with Neji leading the way. Sakura walked beside the Hyuuga.
"Neji…do you know where we are…?"
Neji frowned.
"…Of course I do…"
She sighed and pointed to a sign at the left.
"Really…? Because we past that signed about three times already…"
Neji kept on walking.
Kiba sighed.
"We're lost aren't we…?"
"…"
Shikamaru walked closer to Neji.
"What'd you say…?"
"…"
Ino smiled.
"Huh?"
Neji stopped walking, a black aura surrounding him.
"…We…are...lost…happy?"
Kiba sighed again.
"If you had said that from the beginning, we wouldn't be in the fix."
Hinata blushed.
"So…what now…?"
"I could take you to Miso Ramen…"
Kiba froze…
'I know that smell…'
Above the seven shinobi stood the Kazekage, in all his glory.
"G-Gaara…" Shikamaru smirked. "What are you doing here…?"
He jumped off the rooftop at stared at them with the closest expression to a smirk he could muster.
"I should be asking you that…After all this is my village. Furthermore you're on the property of my mansion…"
Sakura stepped up.
"Ano… could you help us Gaara…? We're sort of lost…"
He smirked again.
"I said I would right…? It's on the other side of town though."
Gaara looked down at the white dog be Neji's feet, and the sparrow on it.
"That…sparrow…"
Ino glanced at the sparrow in mention.
"Shinji? Do you know him…?"
The sand boy turned and started walking.
"It's nothing…follow me, I know a shortcut. "
--------------------------------------------------------
About an hour later the team and Gaara reached the ramen shop.
"Here it is…Miso Ramen. Before you go in though…"
Hinata blushed.
"Y-Yes…?"
Gaara stared at them, then at the sparrow.
"What business do you have with this shop? You don't exactly look…hungry…"
Naruto looked at him and smirked.
"Just stuff…"
He turned and started walking away.
"Fine…I trust you guys can find your way back to the Inn your staying at. Good luck with… whatever you're up to…"
Sakura watched him go.
"Thank you…Gaara…"
He turned to look at them and started walking again.
"It's no problem…just ask for directions next time okay…? C'ya…"
Kiba looked up at the sign, then at Neji.
"This is the shop right…?"
The Hyuuga walked past the door and into the shop.
"Yea."
Ino looked around the big shop.
"Um…Asigara-san…?! You there…?"
A man with long black hair strapped into a braid, and bluish eyes walked in from the backroom.
"Someone called…?"
Neji stepped forward.
"Um…Asigara-san?..."
Asigara straightened his glasses.
"Neji…? Nice seeing you again. Well, your obviously not here to eat ramen at 7:30 in the morning, right? Did you need something?"
Hinata showed her face from behind Naruto.
"No…uh…we wanted to ask you something…"
He took a seat and smiled.
"Ask away…"
Neji's pearl-clear eyes became dead serious.
"Do you know a girl named Tenten…?"
Shinji's smile faded. He remained silent for several seconds.
" Yes, I knew her a long time ago…"
Kiba stared at the young man, eyes shining in anticipation.
"You knew her…?! When…how…?!"
His eyes stared at the Inuzuka.
"Do you have a relation to her…?"
Kiba stared back at him.
"She's from our village…"
Neji sighed, eyes in downcast.
"I-…She was my…teammate."
He stared at the team for a moment. Then at Neji.
'This was the Neji Hyuuga Tenten mentioned…?'
Shinji Asigara thought it over in his head for another minute, and then stared at the male Hyuuga again. He sighed.
"Okay…I'll tell you…but you might want to take a seat. It's a long story so I'll try and sum it up for you…"